| Prepaid
& Cellular FAQS
How does a cell phone differ from a regular telephone?
A cell phone is a wireless telephone and operates
as a mobile phone, therefore it does not work exactly the
same as your home telephone, and you may have an occasional
service interruption. Your phone will work well in town, but
in some rural areas you may have an occasional service problem.
There are locations in the U.S. that do not have wireless
coverage and the quality of wireless service may be affected
by capacity limitations, geographic, topographical and atmospheric
conditions.
What is Roaming?
Roaming is when you use your cell phone outside your locally
programmed calling area. Once you travel outside this local
calling area, the Roaming indicator will be displayed on your
Phone. Once you return to your local calling area, this roaming
indicator will disappear. When you make or receive roaming
calls on your TracFone, your airtime will be deducted at the
rate of 2 units per minute.
What does "dual-mode" mean?
A "dual-mode" phone can utilize either a digital
signal or, if necessary, an analog signal. This additional
ability will keep you connected in some remote regions that
do not have digital cellular capability yet.
How do you add personal ring tones to a cell phone?
Certain models of Nokia, Ericsson, and Siemens cell phones
allow the addition of personal ring tones to your phone. The
easiest way to do this (if it is available on your model)
is to directly "compose" a ring using your cell
phone. Instructions are included with your phone if this feature
is available. Otherwise, you have two options: You can buy
a data cable specific to your phone and use software on a
computer to compose a song and download it to your phone,
or you may visit a Web site and have them send a special message
that includes a ring tone to your phone (usually for a small
fee).
Are cell phones really dangerous?
Today's major medical studies have not shown any conclusive
evidence that cell phones are dangerous to humans. For further
details, see our cell phone radiation page.
What's the difference between Analog and digital?
The difference is how the messages are transmitted and the
sound quality of those voice transmissions. Analog technology
uses a system called Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS).
AMPS uses analog radio frequency modulation (FM) for voice
transmission. Digital technology uses one of the following
systems: CDMA, TDMA, or GSM. In general, digital transmissions
provide for highly private conversations with superior sound
quality to analog transmissions.
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What is the cost of prepaid?
The service is as low as $7.99 per month with the purchase
of a 1 year prepaid wireless service card and rates are as
low as $.26 per minute, which includes all wireless taxes
and fees that can add up to 20% of most other wireless service
plans.
What is the coverage for prepaid?
TracFone has national coverage covering 99% of the U.S. population
by piecing together the best networks around the country.
The networks are provided by major companies including Verizon
Wireless, Cingular, and ALLTEL.
Is there an age limit?
NO. With prepaid, there is no age limit.
How long does it take to get my service active?
In most areas, your service will be active instantly. In some
other areas it will be within 24-48 hours. Phones programmed
on Fridays may take up to 72 hours (3 days) to be activated.
How often do I need to purchase and redeem a Prepaid
Wireless Card?
You must purchase and redeem a TracFone Prepaid Wireless Airtime
card when you run out of airtime units or before your card
due date that is displayed on the TracFone, whichever comes
first. The amount of units you use is entirely up to you.
To keep your service active, simply purchase and redeem additional
airtime cards every 60 or 365 days depending on which card
denomination is redeemed. Your card due date will appear on
your phone display every time you turn on the TracFone.
What happens if I forget to purchase and redeem airtime?
In the event you do not redeem a TracFone Prepaid Wireless
Airtime card every 30, 60 or 365 days, service will be suspended
until you redeem an additional TracFone Prepaid Wireless Airtime
card, at which time we will reactivate your service and assign
you another wireless phone number.
What will I be charged to use my prepaid cell phone?
The TracFone deducts units at a rate of 1 unit per minute
of local or long distance calls and 2 units per minute for
roaming calls. The only charges for the use of TracFone are
the TracFone Prepaid Wireless Airtime cards you must purchase
and redeem every 30, 60 or 365 days to keep your service active.
If your service is deactivated, you will need to purchase
additional airtime. There is NO fee for reactivation!
Why would my phone number be canceled if I do not
redeem an airtime card on time?
TracFone pays all charges to the carriers every month when
we issue you a wireless phone number for your use. If you
stop purchasing and redeeming airtime cards, TracFone will
stop paying the charges on that line for your use and will
reassign that telephone number to a new TracFone customer.
All it takes to get your phone activated again is to purchase
and redeem a TracFone Prepaid Wireless Airtime card.
If my service is deactivated, will I lose my airtime
units?
The units remaining on your phone will carry over if your
service remains active or if service is reactivated within
120 days from the date your TracFone becomes deactivated.
Unused units will expire if you wait longer than 120 days
from deactivation to reactivate your TracFone.
What should I do if I move to another city and need
to change to a new local number?
If relocating to a new home area in the United States, simply
call the Customer Care Center at 1-800-867-7183. You will
be reassigned a new local wireless phone number. In some cases,
your handset may need to be exchanged in order to be compatible
with the digital technology in your new home area. The changing
of local numbers is limited to four times in a given year.
What is the warranty on my cell phone?
TracFone guarantees the customer a fully operational prepaid
wireless phone. TracFone does not issue refunds, but will
gladly repair or replace any TracFone that contains a manufacturer's
defect that hinders or prevents its proper operation for up
to one year from the date of purchase.
What are the additional features of the digital cell
phone?
The features include Caller ID, Call Waiting and Voice Mail.
Caller ID will identify the incoming call. Call Waiting allows
you to be on the phone and receive a second incoming call.
Voice Mail allows callers to record a message when you cannot
be reached.
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